Altitude A New Age
by katkat176
Summary: A mysterious snow leopard named Blizzard suddenly joins the Tribe of Rushing Streams. She claims to have come from the far Western Valleys. Snowsun, the leader of the tribe, received a prophecy many moon-journeys ago telling of a snow leopard that will come and change all of the Tribes forever. She gains trust of her tribe mates after all the battles and devastations, but will Bliz
1. Chapter 1

Altitude

Preview:

A mysterious snow leopard named Blizzard suddenly joins the Tribe of Rushing Streams. She claims to have come from the far Western Valleys. Snowsun, the leader of the tribe, received a prophecy many moon-journeys ago telling of a snow leopard that will come and change all of the Tribes forever. She gains trust of her tribe mates after all the battles and devastations, but will Blizzard bring a great or ill future to the packs?

**Please review guys this is only an introduction to my story so please let me know if you want the first half of my chapter posted! Thanks!**


	2. A Mountain In Sight

Altitude

The New Age

Chapter 1

A Mountain in Sight

A snow leopard trudged through the snow, her fur thick with ice as a blizzard whirled around the landscape. Her whiskers were icicles, feeling heavy on her face. She looked up, her aquamarine blue eyes piercing the distance. A mountain took shape between the blizzard, closer every step she took. The snow leopard quickened her pace, snow crunching beneath her paws and also scattering from the leopard's great galumphs. She kept speeding towards the mountain when a sudden rock crossed ways with the snow leopard, sending her flying face forward into a snowdrift, burying her under its cold, white, blanket. The leopard wasted no time in climbing out, her body shivering. She continued on, starting her ascend up the mountain. It wasn't long when the leopard started to get exhausted, her eyes darting to a clearing full of moving shapes. Some were going out of the clearing, some in, and some were staying in it, talking, sleeping, or eating prey. The leopard approached cautiously, unsure of how the others will accept a sudden stranger. She froze suddenly as she heard a pair of paw steps, diving into a nearby bush. The snow leopard watched two females return from a hunt, their mouth full of prey, drowning out their other senses which made them oblivious to the stranger in the bushes. She looked at the juicy prey, which made her stomach growl hungrily. As they passed, she crept out from her hiding place and approached the camp once again, her head low.

"You new around here?" The snow leopard whipped around to confront a slim male with emerald green eyes.

"What?" she asked him, surprised.

"I asked if you are new around here since I haven't seen nor a whisker or a hair of you on this territory." He told her. The female nodded.

"Yes I'm… I'm actually quite the new face around here, and you are the first one to see it. Are you one of them?" she nodded her head towards the bustling snow leopard camp.

"Yeah. Do you want to come with me? I could take you to Snowsun, our leader, and see if you can be part of the tribe." He suggested. The female hesitated, unsure of being a sudden stranger or even an intruder to them.

"Alright, I'll give it a try." She decided reluctantly.

"Great! Follow me." The male padded off towards a thicket surrounded by pine trees.

"By the way, what is your name? I wouldn't want to call you stranger." He looked over his shoulder at her. The female met his gaze.

"I'm Blizzard, and I am from the western valleys far from here." She informed him.

"Nice, I'm Peakpaw, but I'm too old to be a climber, and since I'm so slim, I'm going to be a hunter for the tribe and my ceremony is tomorrow!" He puffed out his chest proudly. Blizzard looked at him curiously.

"oh yea sorry a climber comes right after a newborn, and a climber is trained to become either a cliff guard or a hunter, depending on their shape and skills." Peakpaw explained.

"Oh ok." Was all Blizzard said. They reached a few bushes they climbed through to reveal a small clearing with lush leaves and a stream surrounded by brambles and a thick overlay of leaves above, hiding the sky. A frail snow leopard was sitting by the stream, his leopard print coat with black spots and a white background was faded from age. Without turning, he confirmed,

"The stranger has come at last. Welcome to the Tribe of Rushing Streams. What is your name, young one?" Blizzard looked down, shuffling her paws uneasily.

"I'm Blizzard, from the far Western Valleys." She answered.

"Wonderful. No need to be afraid Blizzard, you are welcomed with open arms. Peakpaw, may it be your courtesy to show her around?" Snowsun asked.

"Yes of course, Snowsun." He answered, leaving the thicket with Blizzard.

"Well, this is camp. The prey pile is in the middle of the clearing," He flicked his tail towards a pile of prey, making Blizzard hungry.

"The climber's thicket is over by that pine tree, the hunter's is underneath that cliff, the cliff guard's sleep over there by that big boulder, the Herb Leopard is hidden in that cave, the newborns and mothers sleep in that dig out surrounded by brambles." Peakpaw showed her every place, pointing left and right.

"You have already seen the leader's thicket." He added.

"Oh yea! The frail live over by that river, at peace and protected by brambles." Peakpaw showed Blizzard.

"Come to my thicket, where the climbers sleep." He led her over to the pine tree, climbing through a small entrance in the brambles. It was quite similar to Snowsky's thicket, but with a lot of snow leopards sleeping in it.

"Small place for a lot of climbers, but it will do.." He stated.

"I'm going to go get some prey. It's getting late and I'm starving." Blizzard snatched a rabbit from the prey pile, walking back slowly. She plopped her rabbit on her chosen sleeping spot and devoured it hungrily.

"It's fresh prey, the hunting parties dropped it off not too long ago." Peakpaw told her, curling up on his spot. Blizzard nodded.

"Really good." Was all you could hear through her mouthful of rabbit. Licking her lips, she made the last piece of prey disappear within moments, curling up close to Peakpaw to get warmth on a cold night.

Blizzard's dreams were confusing that night, jumbling up her thoughts and scattering them into a wild storm of dreams. Racing through a dark, gloomy forest, she saw a familiar snow leopard ahead. She skidded to a halt next to him.

"Peakpaw! I've been looking for you." Blizzard exclaimed. No answer came. Peakpaw kept staring off into the distance, motionless, almost undead. Everything started to fade into a swirling mist as blizzard plunged down into darkness, falling eternally….. She woke with a start and saw Peakpaw eagerly twitching his tail as he ate his sparrow. Blizzard looked up to see sunlight streaming through the branches of the Climber thicket. "Quick! Eat something and get ready for our ceremonies!" Peakpaw dashed out of the thicket and left Blizzard slowly trailing after him to the fresh kill pile. She picked up a mouse and ate it swiftly, then awaited the leader's call. Blizzard was unsure she should change her name, but was excited at the thought of these new ways, so she shrugged her uneasiness off and looked up to see Snowsun jumping up on a crevice in the cliff face their camp was next to. "Let those who have seen the Waters of Wisdom gather here to listen." His frail call came, turning the heads of every snow leopard in the camp. Peakpaw padded over to Blizzard, shifting uneasily. He looked at Blizzard quickly before looking up at the tiny, old snow leopard balanced on the crevice. Peakpaw flitted his eyes around nervously and glanced at Blizzard quickly. "It's time for our ceremony." He informed. She nodded. "I wonder what will happen next.." Blizzard whispered to herself. "Today, we have gathered for two special occasions. A climber will become a hunter, and a stranger from the Western Valleys will be joining our tribe." Everyone's gaze turned to Blizzard. "Now, Peakpaw, please step forward." The leader continued. Peakpaw shakily stepped out in front of his Tribe, facing the leader. "Peakpaw, the Waters of Wisdom have turned in your favor, announcing your destiny." Snowsun nodded before continuing. "You will be a hunter for the Tribe of Rushing Streams, and you shall be known as Peakstep. Go drink from the Waters of Wisdom." The leader flicked his tail towards his thicket after repeating a ceremony that has been said for centuries. Peakstep disappeared in the leader's thicket to finish the ceremony. "Now, we have a stranger who shall become part of our Tribe. Blizzard, step forward."


End file.
